Factual error: When Sam climbs outside the ship he grabs the frozen metallic pipes and rails with both hands - one half covered with a glove, one is bare. He has no problem gripping the cold metal and he can get his hands free every time. If the moisture froze before contact, his hands would be frozen too, so that can't be the reason.
Factual error: During the scene where everyone runs outside, the Statue of Liberty head crashes into the street. The head is scaled too small and its size can be compared to the people taking pictures. In real life the statue head is large enough for people to walk into (17' from chin to cranium).
Suggested correction: The head is actually scaled too large, about 1.5x its real size.
Factual error: The solar panels (or mirrors) are facing away from the sun. The sun's position can be estimated from ground shadows and object highlights and the panels are facing in completely the wrong direction. (01:11:40)
Factual error: When Grace is fighting the controls of the C-5 cargo aircraft there is a shot of part of the instrument panel. Among the items on the panel is a switch labeled "tail rotor quadrant." The C-5 does not have a tail rotor. Helicopters do. (01:35:00)
Factual error: In the diner, the kids listen to/dance to Britney Spears' "Toxic," which didn't release as a single until January 2004. This takes place in 2003.
Factual error: In a few scenes at the hotel by Heathrow Airport, several British Airways aircraft are seen, all with the current paint scheme instead of 1995's.
Factual error: In the movie, when the elevator ("the fall") reaches the middle of the planet, everything turns weightless. In reality, everything should have turned weightless as soon as the elevator was dropped, given they're in freefall.
Factual error: The Apaches in the film are depicted with dual machine guns on each side of the cockpit, mounted directly on the windows. In real life, Apaches cannot mount such cannons, and instead use an M230 Chaingun in a turret underneath the helicopter, which the film Apaches have, but for some reason do not use. (00:49:25)
Suggested correction: Yes, we can all see they are supposed to be Apaches but not once are they mentioned by name. The US Army obviously didn't allow for real Apaches to be used. This isn't a mistake as there would have been no official licence to use the real deal.
Factual error: The grenade Robert Neville uses at the end of the movie has a blue and brown colored lever. This feature is only used on the M69 practice grenade and not the real M67. The lethal grenade lever is completely green.
Factual error: The mounted machine gun fires far too many shots for the limited supply of ammo it has in the box attached to it.
Factual error: When the action moves to England after the failed award ceremony, the British Union Flag hanging from the wall is upside down. The broad white band should be at the top left (nearest the top of the flag pole).
Factual error: The military ranks for everyone but O'Neil are wrong. O'Neil is a Colonel (Full bird), Kawalsky is wearing the insignia of a Lt Colonel, but is referred to by O'Neil simply as Lt., when he should be called Colonel. All the others are wearing enlisted stripes (Ferretti - TSgt, but is credited as Lieutenant Ferretti), the others are also credited as "Lieutenant", but wearing enlisted stripes.
Factual error: The helicopter markings and paint schemes are exclusive ONLY to POTUS (President of the United States). Senator Kelly, even thought he's trying to get a Presidential bid, wouldn't be allowed to fly around in aircraft marked like that. (00:30:10)
Factual error: Just after TK gets the gun for Yulaw, who is pretending to be Gabe, she sees the real Gabe out the window. It cuts to him crouching behind a fence, with his dog in front of him. The dog has its back to the camera, and is facing Gabe while sitting down. Here, they dubbed over a sound of a dog growling to make it more suspenseful. But that part is entirely wrong. One, it is Gabe's own dog, who in a previous scene was happy to see Gabe and wagging his tail. He would not be growling at his master in such a manner at this point. The dog is also sitting down in a relaxed posture. If the dog was actually growling at him in such a threatening manor, it would not be sitting down, but standing and head lowered. (00:56:00)
Factual error: There would not be so many people standing around on the flight deck without some type of ear and eye protection and a float coat.
Factual error: In the scene in the 'cattle car' the shadow and light from outside the bars is moving across Kyle's face as he is talking. But unless the light source moves relative to the shadow source, a shadow will not move. But the light source was just outside daylight - and not direct sunlight - so the shadow inside would not have moved.
Factual error: Abby has trees surrounding her house yet there aren't any in Nome Alaska.
Factual error: When Nate dies by the alien moon rocks, his helmet visor "explodes." The visor in the film shatters like glass, but the real visors on actual spacesuits are made of polycarbonate, a plastic that does not shatter but deforms.
Factual error: In the opening sequence just before Minute 1, after the asteroid is reported to have hit Hamburg (Germany), it is shown in red how the mimics spread through Europe. But wrongly this spreading is originating from the center of Europe (somewhere in Austria) rather than in Hamburg (on the far north of Germany). You can even see in the next shot how it spreads from Austria to Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, which makes no sense if the origin is supposed to be the far north of Germany. (00:00:55)
Factual error: The heat from Dutch's body would warm the mud up in a matter of seconds (tested by the Mythbusters). It doesn't even cover all of his skin or his eyes. And the Predator isn't filtering his input for only large heat sources. His normal vision tracks in on a rat hiding just above Dutch.